


River's Dance

by Cryswimmer



Series: I Look Forward to It [4]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-02
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-09-14 05:36:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9164449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cryswimmer/pseuds/Cryswimmer
Summary: A date that finally goes right...





	

River's Dance

 

He looked entirely too pleased with himself, and he knew it. As he set the controls on the TARDIS, choosing his date and time almost at random, he couldn’t keep the grin off his face. He might not have enjoyed the life and death struggle that they’d been through, but at the very least Amy had come to the realization that Rory belonged to her. It was an absolute relief.

The Doctor loved Amy, but it wasn’t that kind of love. He still thought of her as the child he had met – seven years old and eternally trusting – so many years before. She might have lived through fourteen years without him, but it had only been a few hours in his timeline. He enjoyed her enthusiasm and energy, but anything more would just be… wrong.

Most humans were simply children to him. He supposed that was an improvement, though. For years, he had thought of them almost as animals. They had been so immature to him that it was all he could do to associate with them. Now, at the very least, he was able to enjoy their company. He had always seen potential, and he wanted so much to see them develop to be the intelligent and loving species that they were capable of at their very best. This was why he stayed with them, watched them, and protected them. He knew what they could be. Now, if only they would.

But that was a worry for another day. Today, his world was right because the girl – yes girl – he traveled with was finally seeing him as she should. She had realized where her heart was, and that was such a relief. He’d had a few of his companions fall in love over the years, but mostly they idolized him and developed the equivalent of a school-girl crush. Rose had been different, of course, but even then he had known that a long-term relationship would be between difficult, if not impossible. He would never have sent her away, and he cared enough to endure the pain of watching her age and wither and waste away as humans did, but he had to keep a part of his hearts to himself. Humans were entirely too human to get that close to.

And that made him wonder why he had set coordinates for Stormcage once more. River was human as well, and even though his head knew that he would be close to her, would marry her, his hearts couldn’t conceive of any situation which would make that acceptable. He must have done; she knew his name. But what in the great, wild, unbelievable universe would he be thinking?

Likely, he wouldn’t be. Just as he hadn’t thought of where he was going when he had jubilantly plugged in coordinates to show up on her doorstep. Well, as close to a doorstep as she had. He had finally tuned in the coordinates finely enough that he could materialize within her cell. It saved wear and tear on the lock of her cell. The TARDIS liked River enough that if she was walking about, it would settle around her. Another anomaly, the Doctor mused. The TARDIS tolerated most companions, and grew to favor some of them likely because he cared for them and she picked up on it. Over the centuries, the TARDIS had become a part of him, and he of her. It was an unconventional relationship at best. On the other hand, the TARDIS was less likely to physically molest him than most of his companions. Okay, perhaps that was just Amy.

He smiled at the gentle thump as the TARDIS found River’s cell and settled there. He gave her a gentle stoke, feeling the happy thrum from her. Her noise wound down around him as he jogged to the door and pulled it open. As he glanced over at River’s cot, her head jerking up in surprise, he realized that he had forgotten to attend to when this was. Early days or later? He really wished he had looked more carefully. He had started the input, and it was as though the TARDIS had done the rest herself.

“Hello, Sweetie.” She smiled, and she looked pleased to see him, but not as though this was his habit.

He had dropped in recently with increasing regularity, much against his better judgment. He knew better. Their timelines were too complicated, and he was always at such risk for messing up their flow of history. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe it might be better – married – but rather that he didn’t want to create a paradox. He had seen her die, and to change their relationship would change that reality, and potentially kill him. If the fabric of time survived, he most certainly would not… but she would. Some days, knowing too much about your own history was a pure and simple mess.

Well, it didn’t matter just now. He was still nearly euphoric over Amy’s epiphany, and he wanted to continue his good mood. He would save the deep thoughts for later.

“Going my way?” he asked her with a wink.

“You know I am,” she replied quickly. She grabbed the blue book off her bedside table and tucked it under her arm, then she moved to him at a jog. She placed a quick peck on his cheek, then pressed past him to enter the TARDIS. As always, the Old Girl gave a hum that was a little higher in pitch when River stepped aboard, then went back to normal. What was it about River?

“What’s your pleasure?” he asked as he moved to the console. “Future or past, busy or quiet?”

“Ooh, my pleasure,” she said with a mild leer. “Do you really want to know the answer to that, Sweetie?”

“Location, only,” he clarified. “And perhaps a time zone.”

“Spoil sport,” she mumbled. She moved around the console, making him aware of her nearness. “You don’t look like you’re in the mood for quiet, though. Let’s find a party, somewhere. Someplace fun, and you can take me dancing.”

“I only dance at weddings,” he informed her.

“I know better than that,” she corrected. Then, leaning her head on his shoulder in a way that made him slightly uncomfortable, she added, “Take me dancing.”

He actually felt a bit warm when she moved up against him this way. Dancing? Well, why not? He was indeed in the mood for it. Deciding that if he was going to take them someplace fun he’d do it to the best of his ability, he aimed for one of his favorite times and one of his favorite places.

The human race had its moments, and the celebration following despair was always one of the best. He headed for nineteen forty-five, when all of America was celebrating the end of World War II. The war had been as senseless as any he had ever seen – one race attempting genocide, and another attempting world domination, with too many innocents caught in the middle – but the celebration when it was over had been one of the highlights of the twentieth century. They had danced in the street for days, and River Song wanted to dance.

He sent her to the wardrobe to change, although he didn’t bother to do so himself. River’s tank tops and cargo pants were significantly more out of place than trousers, suspenders, and a bow-tie. He could pass as a little eccentric, but a woman in a tank top would have been scandalous. When she returned, she was wearing a simple cotton dress with a full skirt, and she looked decidedly un-River-like. There was nothing luscious or revealing about the dress, but rather simple lines and an almost innocent feel. No, it was not like River.

“Don’t you like it?” she asked, appearing genuinely concerned.

“It’s lovely,” he admitted, and if he was reluctant he tried not to show it. He had learned how to handle her advances, much as he had handled Amy’s passes, but innocence was a different temptation altogether. “Before we head out, I need to know when I’ve got you.”

“Didn’t you look at the coordinates?”

“For when I picked you up, yes. I need to know when you are in your time-stream. Grab your book and let’s compare notes.”

She did as he asked and picked up her blue book from where she’d left it on the console. “Do you have Asgard?” she asked.

“Lovely picnic,” he commented. “How about Grand Reef?”

“Ahh, the diving. I’d never seen fish so lively.”

He gave her a laugh. “Well, you weren’t supposed to pet them,” he reminded her.

“They liked it,” she argued. “What about Rison IV?”

“Got it. Kensylon Eight?”

She shook her head. “No Kensylon. Do we have a good time?”

“Spoilers,” he told her with a grin.

“I’ll look forward to it,” she said, echoing his smile. “Shall we dance?”

He gave a nod, and took her hand to leave the TARDIS. They exited on a narrow street, and although the noise was muted where they were, he could tell where the party was happening. Downtown Boston on the day when victory was announced over Japan was a lively place indeed. They walked hand-in-hand towards the increasing volume of voices.

As they approached the main road, although their vision was blocked by tall buildings on either side, the crackling music blaring from a radio was loud enough to carry over the streets. The Big Band sound was as bright to him as poppies, and almost as colorful. The smile on River’s face was even brighter.

They danced. Most of the dancing was wild and energetic, twirls and swinging arms with very little body contact. The Doctor loved a good dance. Dancing was one of the few times that human beings lost their inhibitions and just acted silly. He enjoyed their acting silly, and felt that inhibitions as a rule were overwhelming and unnecessary.

A few slow songs – love songs – were played, but even those weren’t a problem. This wasn’t a time in history when public displays of affection were frequent, and River seemed to know enough not to draw attention to them. They danced together and they danced alone, and they even danced a few times with others when a gentleman cut in on him and swept a laughing River away. He danced with a few other women, but mostly he just watched her as she moved tirelessly.

It was a party, and it went on for hours. As the sun went down, the harbor was painted red and orange in its glow. The dancing moved from mostly fast to more often slow, and he became a bit more possessive of River. The dancing got closer with the dimness of the night, illumination provided only through the store windows of the few businesses which remained open. His exuberance from earlier in the evening was replaced by a simple contentment as he moved about the street with River in his arms.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another gentleman coming over to them, probably planning to ask River to dance. Suddenly, the Doctor simply didn’t want to share. “Let’s go for a walk along the harbor,” he requested.

“That sounds wonderful,” she replied, and placed her and in his.

So they walked, and if he felt a possessive satisfaction at the disappointed look on the strange man’s face, then so be it. Riverboats moving through the harbor cast a soft light, as did the few lampposts that were sporadically placed. Electricity was still fairly new for public use, and not widely available. They could see the headlights of cars – classics, they would later be called – as they moved through streets that held more celebratory pedestrians than vehicles. Yes, the party was still going on and it must be past midnight.

For a long while they walked without talking. They tended to do this a lot, as each was reluctant to say too much. It made for a strange tension when they were together, and yet a not-so-strange familiarity with one another as well. They had become very used to one another's presence, and so often they simply didn’t need words.

“It’s so peaceful here,” she told him softly as they listened to a faint honk of ducks which had found their way to the bay. “It’s hard to believe things are so lively a short ways away.”

“America does love a good peace,” he said with a sigh. “Pity there aren’t many of them. There are celebrations like this in most of the major cities, and many of the small towns as well. Here, and in England, France, and Italy. The war machine is at a halt for the moment, and it will stay so for a bit. The losers are not celebrating, of course. And it will be weeks before the countries count the cost and bury their dead… months in Japan before they can even find out the total damage. Well, Germany too, really. The public will be years in finding out how bad things were before it came to a halt. But for this moment… this moment, it’s one of the biggest parties on Earth.”

“I love the moments,” she told him. “We only see glimpses from the TARDIS of course. We see the very best and the very worst.”

“I once told Amy that every day is exciting,” he explained. “Because with a time machine, I can skip the boring ones.”

“The boring ones have their value as well,” she reminded him with a soft glance. She moved closer, releasing his hand and instead threading her arm through his. He accepted the closer position without comment as she matched his stride. “The calm between the storms,” she murmured, almost too quietly for him to hear.

“And you’d be familiar with those.”

She offered another sad smile. “They call it 'Stormcage' for a reason. I don’t think the rain has stopped since I’ve been there, although the thunder and lightning come and go. It must be something with the atmospheric conditions… never anything but gloom. It makes clear nights like this so much more special.” It didn't take much to realize that she wasn't really talking about the weather.

“Do you have a lot of... clear nights?” he asked, continuing the analogy. It wasn't what he wanted to say, but how did one ask if her life was worth living? It mattered to him, and he couldn't ignore that fact.

“Oh, we have quite a few,” she told him. Then, stopping, she turned him to face her. She placed her hand at the side of his face and just looked at him in the dim light for a long moment. She looked tired, but also content. “You are so young,” she said softly. “And yet you worry so much. I'm fine, Doctor. You take very good care of me, and if that's a spoiler, then we will have to live with it.”

He smiled back at her as he placed his hand over hers. Her eyes were in shadow, so he couldn't see her clearly. That bothered him, as he really wanted to do so. He wanted to look into her eyes. He wanted to see her the way she seemed to see him. As he held her hand, he turned his face and placed a soft kiss in her palm. “I think I'm going to like getting to know you,” he said with an uncharacteristic seriousness.

“I hope so,” she agreed. Her hand moved out of his, and then turned to thread her fingers through his. She looked at their entwined fingers with something that could only be described as longing before she turned to walk again, keeping her hand linked with his.

They walked back to the TARDIS the long way, meandering through the dark and quieting streets. The music was gone now, and only the faint sound of a few remaining cars could be heard. River continued to hold his hand, often swinging their arms gently as they walked, much as a child would do. It reminded him of Amy, and that made him smile.

“What?”

“You remind me of Amy,” he said before he could think about whether or not it was a good idea to discuss his companion with her. He gestured to their joined hands, swinging easily between them. “Rough and tough on the outside, but on the inside just a little girl.”

For a moment, her expression was unbearably sad.

“I don't mean it in a bad way,” he rushed to assure her. “It's a good... I mean, not being a child is good, although children are perfectly fine. What I meant was that it's sweet, kind of.. in a way.”

“I'll take it as a compliment,” she said carefully. “But I assure you it's not a description many would have for me. I'm not... childlike.”

“Maybe you should be,” he told her, swinging their arms again and giving her a smile. “Everyone needs to be a child. Even I was a child, although it was a long time ago.” He thought about it, and added, “A really, really, really, really long time ago.”

“I would have liked to have seen that,” she admitted.

They were mostly quiet as they finished their walk, returning to the TARDIS that was behind a trash bin an a cramped alley way. He unlocked it with a snap of his fingers, then gestured her inside. She smiled as she preceded him in, and wandered slowly around the console. Her hand trailed over the dials and switches as it always did, more of a caress than a touch, and her voice was too low for him to hear.

“What was that?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Just saying hello,” she admitted.

“To?”

“Hmm... I'm going to say spoilers, because that's just too complicated to answer. Let's just say that your girl and I are old friends, and leave it at that.”

“I know you can fly her,” he said. “Supposedly I teach you.”

“You and she both,” River corrected.

“I suppose the story behind that is indeed a spoiler,” he muttered. He resisted the urge to stomp his foot or raise his voice. It wasn't her fault that they were out of sync in time. In fact, he was the one who had come to her, so if this night was anyone's fault it was his own. He really hated that. He hated it almost as much as knowing the he dare not ask her to explain. “Why don't you change clothes while I take you back,” he suggested.

She seemed to know that he was out of patience for the night. She gave a nod and followed his request, returning from the wardrobe with her prison uniform of tank tops, khakis, and boots. He stifled the pang at seeing her out of the feminine dress and dancing shoes that had made her look so lovely. It wasn't that she was unattractive in this clothing, but rather that she had looked so exceptional before.

They were quiet as he landed in her cell and escorted her to the door. She gave him a smile as she left, but it was rather sad. She didn't look back at him as she walked to her bunk and took a seat, opening the blue book she carried to a page and beginning to write. He wanted to say something – anything – as he closed the TARDIS door, but he didn't know where to start. He was confused and irritated and edging into cross, and he feared that anything he said would be the wrong thing. Instead, he left her in silence, and wondered when he would next see her again.


End file.
